Arechaga v. Victor School District No. 7

Where Juliana Arechaga, a non-tenured teacher for Victor School District No. 7, did not receive written notice of the school district’s decision not to renew her employment contract for the 2017-2018 school year until June 7, Arechaga demonstrated that she was entitled to the school district’s performance of a “clear legal duty” to renew her contract for the upcoming school year and that there was no other “speedy and adequate remedy” available to her apart from a writ of mandamus.On May 23, 2017, the school district’s Board of Trustees voted not to renew Arechaga's employment contract for the 2017-2018 school year. Arechaga did not receive written notice of the decision until after June 1, the date a school district is obligated to provide such written notice pursuant to Mont. Code Ann. 20-4-206(1). Arechaga sought a writ of mandamus, arguing that the school district was statutorily obligated to renew her contract. The district court denied the application, finding that Arechaga’s neglect in maintaining a current address on file with the school district was the sole cause of her failure to receive timely notice of the non-renewal of her contract. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that the district court erred when it held that Arechaga did not satisfy the requirements for mandamus. View "Arechaga v. Victor School District No. 7" on Justia Law